Chris Kilham sees—and tastes—a lot of so-called superfoods in his travels as The Medicine Hunter on Fox News and Medicinehunter.com. These three berries, he says, deserve a second look for people interested in amping up their nutrition.
Maqui.A deep purple berry that grows wild in southern Chile, maqui tastes like a cross between a blueberry and black raspberry. Its purple pigments, called anthocyanins, help reduce your risk of heart disease and colon cancer, as well as help regulate blood sugar, which may make maqui useful for people with diabetes. Maqui berries are sold at Whole Foods stores and online on Vitaminshoppe.com as juice or powder that you can add to smoothies.
RELATED: Superfoods That Will Surprise YouGoldenberry. Also known as the Cape Gooseberry, goldenberry is a sweet relative of the tomato that’s cultivated in Hawaii and California. Goldenberries offer anti-inflammatory bioflavonoids, along with vitamin C, cancer-fighting carotenoids, pectin (a soluble fiber that can help reduce cholesterol) and blood-pressure-lowering potassium. Dried gooseberries can be enjoyed as a snack or used as you would any dried berry. Goldenberries are available on Vitaminshoppe.com.
Aronia berry. This small red, purple or black berry (also known as chokeberry) with a mouth-puckering taste grows wild in the U.S. The black variety has attracted scientific interest because it has the highest concentration of anthocyanins found in any plant to date. It is also high in vitamin C. Aronia berries are sold frozen, as a sweetened juice concentrate and added to products such as gummy chews. Check Amazon.com and natural foods stores.
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